Moving to Ireland was one of the best decisions I have ever made, both academically and personally. I was in my first year of university at the University of Regina when I applied to UCC through Atlantic Bridge. It was quite daunting to be faced with the idea of not just moving away from home for the first time, but moving to a different continent.
Despite my fears, as soon as I got to Ireland I knew that it was the right choice for me. My classmates are so welcoming and eager to show me the best things that Cork has to offer. I realized quite quickly that I had found a second home.
Classes at UCC are planned out for you, and you will have the majority of your lectures with everyone in your year. The class size is around 120 students. While the class size is quite large, everyone gets along and it’s a great experience getting to know everyone. For clinical tutorials, our class is divided into different groups that allows for group learning with professors and physicians. The school focuses on early clinical exposure, which is fundamental in applying our lectures to the practice of medicine. The majority of classes in the first two years are classroom based, and there is a lot of studying that goes along with it. When you get the chance in clinical settings and electives to have patient contact it makes all those hours studying worth it.
All of the professors and physicians are fantastic and dedicated to teaching the next generation of physicians. UCC does an amazing job preparing students who wish to write their licensing exams to practice in Canada and the United States. Irish medical schools are internationally recognized, which gives me confidence and motivation when looking towards the future and applying to residency programs in North America.
Cork is a beautiful city, and I am so thankful to be given the opportunity to study medicine at UCC. I live in student accommodation near the university, so my lectures on campus are no more than a 10-minute walk away. UCC has an amazing campus, and has striking similarities to a castle.
Ireland has been a fantastic experience for me so far, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in pursuing a career in medicine. The country is beautiful, the school is prestigious, and the people are so kind and generous. I will forever be happy to call Ireland my home, and I hope that you will love it as much as I do.
